Life is Impromptu
by GaleLeahy
Summary: Sometimes in life, you just have to sing. Jesse/Rachel, Rachel/Shelby - mostly Mamma Mia! songs, but a few others. Rated T because I am paranoid.
1. The Winner Takes it All

**A/N:**

**Hello everybody! While I was listening to my Mamma Mia! soundtrack (my guilty pleasure), I put a few songs on repeat multiple times and decided I would write fanfiction off of them. So, without further ado…what happens when you write fanfiction off Mamma Mia!**

**Pairings include…Rachel/Jesse and Shelby/Rachel. First off, though, is Rachel/Jesse {of sorts}.**

**DISCLAMER – Sadly, I do not own these amazing characters. If I did, Rachel and Jesse would be married and would have two children named Barbra and Freddy. Or Elphaba and Tony. Or…wait, off topic. Regardless, I own nothing.**

Rachel POV

"Alright guys, this week your assignment is to find a song that explains how you are feeling. I know I've assigned this before, but it's nice to vent feelings using song. And with that go forth!"

Mr. Shue was too enthusiastic for his own good. But I pulled out my best show-face and grinned all the way out of the choir room with Finn's hand in mine.

"Want to go to the library to look for songs?" Finn asked; that goofy grin on his face that used to make me swoon. Now I was immune.

"Actually, I already have my piece. I'm going to go try it out in the auditorium. But I'll call you later." I flashed my brightest Rachel-Berry-smile and Finn walked away after kissing me swiftly on the lips.

With a sigh, I walked away quickly to the auditorium, pulling out the sheet music for _Learn to be Lonely_. Over summer, I had learned how to read basic sheet music on piano. I was still learning bass clef, but daddy thought I was doing fairly well by myself. I sat down on the piano bench and stared out at the empty auditorium. It was shocking to think that only a handful of months ago, Jesse St. James was on this very stage, throwing New Directions into a funk. Now he was at UCLA, becoming a star like I know he will one day be.

Thirty minutes later and after successfully learning five bars, I gave up. I got up dramatically from the piano bench and walked to the opposite side of the stage, trying to clear my head. Instead of thinking of the notes, I found myself thinking of _him._

_Stop it Rachel! _I screamed inside my head, my hands knotting up in my hair. I finally collapsed, growing weak from the battle raging inside of my head.

"Hello Rachel. How are you doing?"

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. I looked up to see him nod casually at me and take a seat at the piano. Jesse examined my piece for a moment and then casually began playing it.

_I hate him. _I concluded icily as I observed him fluently play the piece through.

Jesse paused at the chorus and turned around too look at me. With a slight smirk on his face he walked over to me and sat down beside me, looking down at me.

"So Rachel, how's New Directions going?" Jesse asked, completely ignoring the elephant in the room.

"_I don't want to talk," _I suddenly began singing. Jesse looked shocked for a moment, but then backed up a little and allowed me to stand up.

"_About things we've gone through, and though it's hurting me, now its history." _I sang cautiously, than took a breath to go onto the next part stronger.

_I've played all my cards__  
__And that's what you've done too__  
__Nothing more to say__  
__No more ace to play__  
_I paused for a moment to glance at Jesse. He had his usual composure on his face, but he nodded a little as if to encourage me to go on. So I did._  
__The winner takes it all__  
__The loser standing small__  
__Beside the victory__  
__That's her destiny__  
_I absentmindedly began to twirl a piece of my hair but I was beginning to gain confidence. It didn't matter that there was no actual music in the background; I was officially on a roll. _  
__I was in your arms__  
__Thinking I belonged there__  
__I figured it made sense__  
__Building me a fence__  
__Building me a home__  
__Thinking I'd be strong there__  
__But I was a fool__  
__Playing by the rules__  
_The lyrics were so true they even surprised me. By the time this verse was over, Jesse was laying out with his hands behind his back keeping him up. He had the ghost of a smile playing on his face and it looked as if he was dreaming up something. Ignoring the adorable sparkle in his eyes, I drew a breath and continued singing._  
__The gods may throw a dice__  
__Their minds as cold as ice__  
__And someone way down here__  
__Loses someone dear__  
__The winner takes it all__  
__The loser has to fall__  
__It's simple and it's plain__  
__Why should I complain?__  
_I gave a little sideways glance before beginning the next verse. Jesse had a look that radiated guilt, like he knew what was coming. He probably did; when we were dating, I made him watch the movie version at least five times just to annoy him. Now, I was almost glad. I put all I had into the next verse._  
__But tell me does she kiss__  
__Like I used to kiss you?__  
__Does it feel the same__  
__When she calls your name?__  
__Somewhere deep inside__  
__You must know I miss you__  
__But what can I say__  
__Rules must be obeyed__  
_I put a bitter tone on the edge of all the appropriate phrases just to see his look of guilt increase. By the end of the verse, Jesse couldn't even look at me. I had seen the pictures on Facebook; he just recently broke up with his California girlfriend. I had always wondered if I meant anything to him. Maybe – to him – his California girl WAS better than me._  
__The judges will decide__  
__The likes of me abide__  
__Spectators of the show__  
__Always staying low__  
__The game is on again__  
__A lover or a friend__  
__A big thing or a small__  
__The winner takes it all__  
_What was Jesse in my life? He looked like he was asking the same question to himself. I realized that he was a mixture of both a lover and a friend. He would tell me things that I needed to change and he "loved" me. Past-tense, though._  
__I don't wanna talk__  
__Cos it makes me feel sad__  
__And I understand__  
__You've come to shake my hand__  
__I apologize__  
__If it makes you feel bad__  
__Seeing me so tense__  
__No self-confidence__  
__But you see__  
__The winner takes it all__  
__The winner takes it all__  
_I realized that I was crying when Jesse glanced up at me and sighed, nodding slightly to himself. I quickly wiped the tears from my face and continued on to finish up the song._  
__The game is on again__  
__A lover or a friend__  
__A big thing or a small__  
__The winner takes it all__  
_My voice broke right as I started the finishing notes. I took a deep breath and finished singing._  
__The winner takes it all_

I was openly crying at this point. It's not like I could've held it in; I may be like Shelby in looks and talents, but I'm not hard. I _don't _have a great poker face; I'm still learning. Jesse stood up and took me in his arms and I started crying into his darkly-dressed chest.

"Rachel, I'm sorry. But it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. I'm only here for my uncle's funeral. Right after that, I'm back to UCLA. We would've never seen each other and you deserve so much more. Like Hudson, for example. Can't you see that?" Jesse said softly, gently stroking my hair as I continued to cry.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I'm sorry about your uncle."

He looked a little wistful for a moment and sighed. "I love you,"

To say I was shocked is an understatement, but I gave him a half-smile. "I love you, too. But I do understand your point. Maybe later on in our careers we'll be reunited dramatically on stage. But, I'm not sure if now is the right time."

Jesse nodded and smiled down at me. "That day will come, though. Until then, my love."

And then Jesse St. James kissed me softly yet passionately on the lips and took his leave from my life. But I realized it would only be temporary. Because if I knew anything about this show I called my life I knew that Jesse would be a main character.

One day.


	2. Slipping Through My Fingers

**A/N:**

**Hello! Thanks for the reviews! I love reviews; they are as addictive as coffee (which keeps me up and writing!)**

**Alright…this one has been a bit hard to write, but I like how it's turned out. This is Shelby/Rachel to the song 'Slipping Through my Fingers'. Once again, I sadly do not own Glee or anything to do with it. If I did, things would be different. Much, much, much more different. Anyway, enjoy the Shelby/Rachel!**

Shelby POV

I was happy.

Beth screaming in the background merely confirmed that fact.

I _should _be extremely happy. I had a little girl to raise, I now had a career that didn't involve children singing on a stage, and I officially had a life. It was exactly what I had told Rachel I wanted out of my life.

_Rachel…_

I don't know why I felt guilty about not trying to form a strong relationship with her. After that awful talk I had with Jesse before he left for California, I haven't been able to shake off this horrible feeling. It nagged at the very edges of my heart and made me want to hug Beth and vomit at the same time.

_I believe they call this feeling guilt._

As I cradled Beth in my arms, I decided I needed to get her to sleep. The only way I knew how to do that without having to listen to the _Hairspray_ soundtrack over thirty times was to drive around for an hour.

After a battle worthy of being compared to the Civil War, I began to drive towards Lima, Ohio. I figured if I had to calm Beth down, I might as well clear out my own feelings.

By the time we reached McKinley High, Beth was snoring lightly, her face the calmest I have seen it since she was born. I pulled her gently out of her car-seat and rested her softly in my arms. As I walked towards the building, I started considering the fact that this was probably a very horrible idea.

_As long as Rachel doesn't see me, this should turn out okay._

It didn't take me too long to find her. She was in the school auditorium with her Glee club, belting the lyrics to a song I couldn't identify in her rightful place; center stage. It angered me momentarily to see that the rest of her club didn't look at all interested in what they were doing. But all that mattered was Rachel's look of determination. I leaned against the frame of the door, momentarily forgetting Beth was in my arms.

_Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning__  
__Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile__  
__I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness__  
__And I have to sit down for a while_

Rachel looked out onto the crowd, brushing her hair out of her face. I can remember when I saw her perform in _Beauty and the Beast _back when she was in seventh grade. I had originally gone because Jess was the Beast, but my attention was focused on Rachel the entire time. She had such a strong stage presence about her; something I seemed to lack in my New York days. She was everything I was when I was her age; and at times, she was even better than me._  
__The feeling that I'm losing her forever__  
__And without really entering her world__  
__I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter__  
__That funny little girl__  
_I had to admit this; at first I thought Sectionals was going to be a bust. After hearing a deaf choir (how were they allowed to participate?) and a school for juvenile delinquents, I doubted that the last group could be any good. I hadn't bothered to check the list to see who was next; I figured the next group would be blind or would have cancer or something. After hearing the intro to 'Don't Rain on my Parade', I wanted to punch the person nearest to me (which happened to be Jess – he probably would've deserved it). After hearing _her _voice, though, I couldn't bring my attention away. Jess had the same look on his face and after she finished, I stood up and dragged Jess by the ear. He whined about having to leave since he wanted to see who the winner was. I gave him a glare and he followed as I walked back to the car._  
__Slipping through my fingers all the time__  
__I try to capture every minute__  
__The feeling in it__  
__Slipping through my fingers all the time__  
__Do I really see what's in her mind__  
__Each time I think I'm close to knowing__  
__She keeps on growing__  
__Slipping through my fingers all the time__  
_As Rachel finished up, her Glee club dispatched from the stage. But Rachel stayed, frozen in her spot. She glanced around at the empty seats in the auditorium and gave a small smile, her eyes twinkling. It was at that moment that I realized she had been tapping her foot nervously the entire time. She took a deep breath and began doing a ballet routine I recognized as the Dream Sequence from _Oklahoma!_. I worried about her doing the routine without the proper shoes on, but I pushed that thought aside as I watched her dance with a grace I never had. _  
__Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table__  
__Barely awake, I let precious time go by__  
__Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling__  
__And a sense of guilt I can't deny_

I had just realized I was singing. And that – surprisingly – I had been in the right key the entire time. I realized I had been singing when I saw Rachel pause and look around, scared that she wasn't alone. She had changed since the last time I had seen her. By the looks of it, she had cut her hair. Instead of being close to her elbows, it was now barely resting on her shoulders. She had a faint trace of makeup outlining her soft brown eyes and something about her seemed…harder. As if she had grown up over the summer; like something had happened to change her life. With a frown, I realized that I am most likely the cause of this. The most shocking change was her outfits. Instead of the animal sweaters Jess always talked about (with a lovesick puppy grin on his face, might I add) Rachel was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I knew it wasn't a Glee costume because everybody else had been wearing football jerseys, vampire attire, cheerleading uniforms, suspenders, and corsets. Rachel had…changed.  
_What happened to the wonderful adventures_  
_The places I had planned for us to go_  
_Well, some of that we did but most we didn't_  
_And why I just don't know_  
The day that Rachel had been born, I immediately regretted that stupid piece of paper I had signed with her fathers. I wanted to get to know her…but I couldn't. Not unless she came to find me. After seeing her at Sectionals, I knew that I needed to meet her. And after I spotted Jess smiling off stage, I knew something was wrong with him. When he told me that he had a date with Rachel Berry on Friday, I figured out a sure-fire way I could meet my baby; through my almost-son who owed me.  
_Slipping through my fingers all the time_  
_I try to capture every minute_  
_The feeling in it_  
_Slipping through my fingers all the time_  
_Do I really see what's in her mind_  
_Each time I think I'm close to knowing_  
_She keeps on growing_  
_Slipping through my fingers all the time_  
As she continued on in her dance, I continued singing. Since Rachel was five years old, Leroy had been sending me pictures behind his husbands' back. Once a year – around Christmas time – I would get a picture of Rachel, a letter regarding what she had been up to, and a recording of her singing. When I got the recording of her singing 'Don't Rain on my Parade' from her Sectionals performance, I knew it was time. I just didn't think I would break her in the process.  
_Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture_  
_And save it from the funny tricks of time_  
_Slipping through my fingers..._  
I almost had a heart-attack as I saw her collapse on the stage. It took me a moment to realize that she had done it on purpose; she was crying. As I took a breath to continue on with my song, I realized Rachel was singing along. With a bit of a shudder, I continued singing, watching as my little girl was doing the same.  
_Slipping through my fingers all the time_  
Something inside of me died (or did it come back to life?) when Rachel came into the Vocal Adrenaline dressing room and asked me to help coach her team. I had seen it all – the life she had wanted us to have. We could've been one of the greatest mother-daughter duos to catch the Glee world by storm. But then I took a step back and realized what I had just said. The _Glee World _for God's sake! I realized that I wanted more than Glee; I wanted to have a dream, not make them. I could almost hear the tears as Rachel informed me of Quinn and Puck's baby girl being born. I realized that she was my ticket to the life that I had always wanted; Rachel didn't need a mother, but Beth did.  
_Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning_  
_Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile..._

For the first time throughout the song, Rachel made eye contact with me. Tears were glistening in her eyes as she gave me a small grin. I tried my best to give her a smile, but it probably turned out pretty non-smile like. I realized that after I adopted Beth, I had given up on Rachel. I had made her go through heartbreak, I made Jess go through heartbreak all for me to change my mind. Rachel's ringtone – 'Defying Gravity' – erupted throughout the auditorium and she waved quickly, picking up her backpack and exiting the stage through the side door. As Rachel left the building, Beth began to slowly whimper. It was the first time I had realized she was in my arms. But she wasn't looking at me. Instead, she was looking across the hallway at two teenagers, tears in their eyes. The scary one with the used-to-be Mohawk had his arm around the shoulder of the petite blond who had tears streaking down her face. I realized what I needed to do.

"Hi mommy and daddy," I said as I waved Beth's arm and Beth giggled, causing us all to laugh.

"Hey Beth," Quinn whispered, waving one hand and grasping Puck's with the other.

Puck looked at me and I immediately walked over to the couple.

"Would you like to hold her?" I asked Quinn as Beth squirmed, trying to find her way into Quinn's arms. With the biggest smile I had ever seen her wear, Quinn took Beth and cradled her in her arms.

I turned to walk down the hallway to give the three of them a moment alone when Puck grabbed my arm.

"Thank you," He muttered, looking me straight in the eyes.

"I don't Beth to think of her mother like Rachel thinks of me." I responded, giving them a nod and began walking.

As I walked down the same hallways that Rachel has been walking the past few years, I realized that I did love Rachel. But fate had given me the chance to start over, so I had to take it. I would always wish things could turn out different, but – in reality – they can never change. So as Quinn gave Beth back after kissing her forehead lovingly, I had a new sense of closure. I knew that I would never have a great relationship with Rachel, but I had a new start with Beth.

This time, there would be no regrets.

**A/N:**

**There we go! That was Shelby and her wishful thinking :)**

**It's not my best work, but I've learned to be proud of all of my work because it is mine. I was thinking that maybe my next piece will be Jesse/Shelby SHOWDOWN! I got the idea from soullessautomaton and am now obsessed with it. So more than likely, expect that next time!**

**Sorry for all horrible grammar mistakes, bad spelling, confusing sentences, or lines where I am trying to be funny but epically fail. In my mind, Shelby is a little OOC, but it is just the way my mind thinks. Besides, our lovely Glee writers haven't given us THAT much of a look into the mind of Shelby…**


	3. I'm a Marionette

**A/N:**

**Salvete, everybody! This is the Jesse/Shelby that has been keeping me up the past few nights (that and the fact that I think my dog is talking to me). Oh, and THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! I was happy when I checked my e-mail and saw I had reviews ;)**

**Alright, let's go through the protocol….I own nothing. Not Glee, not the amazing song I have used in this, I don't even own the socks I am wearing (they are my mother's). **

**Without further ado, here is the Jesse/Shelby showdown; hope I did it justice!**

Jesse POV

Days until Nationals; 14.3

Hours until I leave rehearsal; 4

Minutes before I rip my hair out; 12

Seconds before I kill Andrea; 6

Micro-seconds before I go mentally insane; 0

"Come on guys! This is _Nationals _rehearsal! If you want a fourth consecutive, you need to _sing as though your life depends on it! _One more amateur mistake AND YOUR LIFE WILL DEPEND ON IT!" Shelby yelled into the microphone as my "team mates" stood quietly, observing their feet. I was the only one with enough guts to stare directly at Shelby.

After a few moments of looking for a reaction from the group, Shelby sighed and told us all to get out of her sight before she kills us.

Except for me.

Managing to suppress the need to roll my eyes, I trudged up the steps to Shelby's desk, shoving my hands in my pockets. Shelby glared at me when I finally reached her desk.

"What is wrong with you, Jesse? Ever since Regionals, you haven't been the same. You're usually a half-beat off and you went flat three times in this last song. You need to remember that I'm controlling your future here. If you screw up Nationals, you can kiss UCLA good-bye." Shelby said with a small smirk playing on her face, almost excited about the thought of ruining my future.

I thought of at least twenty comebacks until I got to the best one. "Whatever you want, Shelby."

There was something about Shelby getting her way easily that irritated her. She loved a good fight and when people would just give up, she hated it. With a heavy grimace set on her face, Shelby walked away from the desk and stormed out the doors of the auditorium. I slowly walked back to the stage, running a hand through my hair. When I finally got to center stage – where I belong – I thought of everything I had been feeling since Regionals. After a glance out onto the empty auditorium, I took a breath and sang.

_"You're so free," that's what everybody's telling me__  
__Yet I feel I'm like an outward-bound, pushed around, refugee__  
__Something's wrong, got a feeling that I don't belong__  
__As if I had come from outer space, out of place, like King Kong_

__When my parents died after driving home early from my eighth grade graduation, I became Shelby's child. She took me into her house, signed me up for Carmel, and took care of my sister as well. She always gave me a vague sense of freedom because she didn't care where I went, so long as I didn't do anything to damage my voice. Little did I know, she used me to manipulate people and make life better for herself.

___I'm a marionette, just a marionette, pull the string__  
__I'm a marionette, everybody's pet, just as long as I sing__  
__I'm a marionette, see my pirouette, round and round__  
__I'm a marionette, I'm a marionette, just a silly old clown_

__When Shelby found out that I was dating Rachel, I didn't expect her to be Rachel's mother. Sure, there was a slight resemblance, but Rachel was too…_nice _to be in any way related to Shelby. I can still recall the conversation we had that day that I agreed to lead Rachel to her.

"**Jesse come here," Shelby said after another extremely long rehearsal.**

"**Yes, coach?" I asked, trying in vain to cool myself down.**

"**Why are you smiling? None of you are ever happy unless I tell you to give me a show face onstage. But you've been all rainbows-and-unicorns the entire rehearsal and I want to know what's wrong."**

**I laughed and ran a hand through my hair. "Nothing's wrong, coach. Everything is far from being wrong."**

**She looked at me like I had just told her that Barbra Streisand couldn't sing. "You just laughed. What do I need to go kill and with what should I kill it? Seriously, something is very off about you."**

**I tried to hide the seemingly stupid grin that was playing on my face. "You remember the girl from Sectionals, Rachel? Well, I met her in the bookstore the other day. I have a date with her tomorrow night."**

**Shelby stared at me for a few moments before collapsing in her chair and tapping her fingers on her desk. "Jesse, I need your help with something."**

**I perked up; usually doing something for coach meant crushing somebody's dreams and that made me feel superior. I pride myself on my seemingly low self-esteem.**

"**Anything for you, coach."**

___Like a doll, like a puppet with no will at all__  
__And somebody told me how to talk, how to walk, how to fall_

__I had been hesitant at first. I had actually liked Rachel and didn't want to hurt her. But – fact of the matter is – I owed Shelby a lot. She had done so much for me and she had gotten me into UCLA. So I _had _to agree to do that for her. After I agreed, though, I felt something nagging at me whenever I tried to get to sleep. It was like how you feel whenever you run over a puppy and then hit it over the head with a shovel. They call this feeling guilt, I believe.

___Can't complain, I've got no-one but myself to blame__  
__Something's happening I can't control, lost my hold, is it safe?_

__The night after _Run Joey Run _happened, I knew I had brought all of this upon myself. I realized I shouldn't have agreed to Shelby and maybe none of this would've happened. I had never let myself be affected by a girl before but Rachel was…different. If Shelby hadn't of told me to transfer to McKinley to gain her trust completely, I wouldn't have been triple-casted in the worst video I had seen in a long time. If Shelby hadn't of snuck her way into our relationship, I would've stayed at Carmel and we would have our Romeo and Juliet romance. But – then again – I let Shelby into the relationship. I allowed her to screw everything up for me. The blame, I realized, was all on me.

_I'm a marionette, just a marionette, pull the string__  
__I'm a marionette, everybody's pet, just as long as I sing__  
__I'm a marionette, see my pirouette, round and round__  
__I'm a marionette, I'm a marionette, just a silly old clown_

As I pieced together a little bit of choreography to do while I was singing (no such thing as Jesse St. James doing an amateur performance, after all), I looked up to the crowd to see empty seats. Except for two seats on opposite sides of the theater. On the left side sat Rachel, watching with interest twinkling in her eyes. On the ride side was Shelby, staring at me with an unreadable expression. I realized that I was singing _to them_, these lyrics were directed towards them. I was accusing and apologizing (in a very subtle way, that is) in the same song; what a feat.__

_"Look this way, just a little smile," is what they say__  
__"You look better on the photograph if you laugh, that's okay"_

Everybody in my life had expected something from me. To Shelby I was supposed to be the perfect lead singer that brought her the fame she could never find. To my parents, I was supposed to be the son that they could brag about to their friends. To my sister, I was supposed to be the rock that stayed constant throughout her life. To Rachel, I was supposed to be the perfect boyfriend that could outshine Finn in every way. But I was just a mirror reflection of everything everybody wanted me to be. I was never in everything I did, but I acted like I was.__

_I'm a marionette, just a marionette, pull the string__  
__I'm a marionette, everybody's pet, just as long as I sing__  
__I'm a marionette, see my pirouette, round and round__  
__I'm a marionette, I'm a marionette, just a silly old clown_

Shelby was still glaring at me, this time emotion was evident. It was a look of anger and hurt. But, there was also a flicker of understanding. For the first time in four years, I think she understood that she had been pulling me around since that one vulnerable moment when I passed up living with my uncle so that I could live with Shelby and be a Vocal Adrenaline star. When I had agreed to live with Shelby, I never thought it would mean losing control of my emotions and actions. I had truly been her marionette.__

_"You're so free," that's what everybody's telling me__  
__Yet I feel I'm like an outward-bound, pushed around, refugee_

I finished up as non-dramatically as I could. Normally this would never happen, but I wanted to make sure nothing could distract from the lyrics. I glanced up to see Rachel smile at me as she slipped quietly out of the doors, walking out as Shelby began to walk up towards me. Knowing that she was gone gave me the chance to tell Shelby how I really felt that the song didn't cover.

"I know you were the one that took me in and helped me become the amazing singer I know I am today, but you've also used me for your own gain, Shelby. Do you realize that you crushed Rachel by giving her a boyfriend and a mother but then taking them both away in the blink of an eye? Do you realize that you didn't help her any by showing her that you are her mother? You just _hurt_ her by doing that. Also, what was the purpose of doing that to Rachel? I know you said you wanted to get to know her, but all you did is make an appearance and then you just left her! You had me lie to her multiple times just so you could drop her faster than you dropped my sister. I know you think that you were such a saint letting her be bestowed with your presence for at least a few days, but really you're just an insecure, lying witch that has to screw up other people's lives just to make yours seem better than it is. So go ahead and take away my scholarship to UCLA; I'll just march myself to New York City and make a career you never could. In case you haven't noticed Shelby, I have nothing keeping me here anymore. You're not anything important to me now; you've proven to me that you don't deserve it. And the sad thing is, you aren't doing anything to stop me."

As I grabbed my bag to make my exit, I heard Shelby mutter. "You're right,"

And I knew that I was.

**Yes, very anti-climactic I know. Even **_**I **_**was expecting myself to write something where Jesse and Shelby were throwing antique pots at each other and Jesse stealing Shelby's car just to crash it into a tree. But, I think that sometimes being calm yet calling someone out on everything they've done wrong is just as effective. I'm not exactly sure what I'll be writing about next, but I'll try to get it up as soon as I can. The song I used is I'M A MARIONETTE by ABBA (great song – go listen to it). Please review – good or bad. I like feedback to know what I can improve on as a writer. Thanks for reading! :)**


	4. Vaccinefor Writer's Block!

**A/N:**

**I wanted a violence scene so I have written one. There is no song, just a short little violence scene to give me inspiration to write my next fanfiction. Enjoy the hate! This is a little alternate ending to my previous fic (Ch. 3).**

Jesse POV

_Just a quick trip upstairs to grab my things and leave, _I told myself as I pulled into Shelby's driveway, hesitantly getting out of my car. I grabbed my back pocket as I walked to the door, praying that she hadn't gotten home yet.

I stuck the key in the door and walked in slowly, cowering down a little before I entered. Right as I shut the door behind me and began to turn around, one of my grandmother's pot smashed a few inches away from my head.

"What the heck, Shelby?" I yelled, glancing at the broken pottery that was now lying on the ground. Shelby looked at me with an evil glint in her eyes before picking up one of her favorite vases, tossing it between her hands. I glanced around the doorway and grabbed the closest thing to me – an umbrella container – and held it in front of my face, slowly walking towards the staircase.

"Let's be rational now, Shelby." I said slowly, inching my way up the stairs.

Shelby cackled and looked at me. "Oh, I'll show you rational."

And this time the vase hit my leg.

I ran up the stairs, hearing Shelby's heels click up behind me. After slamming the door shut, I grabbed all the sheet music I could find and stuffed it into my suitcase, thinking of the clothes last. After collecting my iPod and my computer, I threw open the window and was half-way out the window before I ran back to grab my picture from the Wiggles concert with Rachel. As I shut the window I could hear the door beginning to unlock. I jumped off the roof and – thankfully – landed on my feet. I began walking to my car before pausing and turning around to walk over to Shelby's car that was hidden under the garage. After quickly hotwiring Shelby's car ("science project"?"), I jumped in the driver's seat and pulled it out of the driveway slowly, then speeding down the street and running her car into a tree multiple times. I then got into my car and drove away, leaving with a smug smile on my face and a screaming Shelby behind me.

I was extremely proud of myself…until I realized I had no place to stay. I dejectedly drove to the park and took my bag out to the park bench to people watch until it was dark. I figured I would just sleep in my car and then go to figure everything out in the morning. I didn't realize somebody had sat down on the opposite side of the bench until they spoke out.

"Any reason why your leg is bleeding, Jesse?"

I looked down at my leg to see big red blotches seeping through my jeans. I mentally cursed and tenderly ran my fingers over the blood. I glanced up and was surprised to see a face that I hadn't seen since Regionals.

"Mr. Shuester? What are you doing here?"

He sighed and glanced down at his hands. "I don't have Glee anymore and I've lost a wife and I no longer have a child. I guess I've realized that I'm just old and lonely."

I smiled and laughed shortly. "Why are you talking to me? I thought you hated me because…well, you know."

Mr. Shuester glanced at me with a sad glance. "I saw you tell off Shelby in the auditorium. Like I said, I've been pretty lonely this summer and Rachel called me asking if I could drive her to Carmel. I lingered a little longer than she did, but I figured things got pretty bad after I saw Shelby storm out of the auditorium. I don't hate you, Jesse. We've all made mistakes in our lives and that's just one of yours." I smiled and Mr. Shuester glanced down at my leg, his eyes widening.

"You should get that seen. That looks pretty horrible."

I looked down at my feet and rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't exactly have any money to do that."

He finally understood. "Shelby did that, didn't she?"

I didn't say anything, just continued to look down at my feet. After a few moments of silence, Mr. Shuester stood up and grabbed my bag.

"You're staying at my place tonight. After we get your leg seen, of course. I can't have you sleeping in your car – I know that's what you were planning on doing; I was a teenager once – and with the looks of that cut I can't have you bleeding to death, either."

I got up and took my bag from him, walking in silence by his side until we reached his car.

"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked as he climbed into the driver side of his car. He paused a moment and I climbed in, throwing my bag into the back.

"Because according to Brittney, you're my son. I heard that this is what fathers do."

**A/N:**

**Can't have un-happy endings! Sorry you have to endure my "beat-the-writers-block" story, but I'm hoping it has paid off for my next chapter!**


	5. Gimme Gimme Gimme

**A/N:**

**Hello everybody! I have decided the Glee girls need some "girl power" going on. The song in Power of Madonna was great, but they need ABBA as well! I'm not exactly sure WHAT exactly gave me the inspiration for this, but I'm hoping you all will enjoy!**

**Typical spiel here…I do not own Glee or any of its characters, I do not own any of the ABBA songs used anywhere, and I do not own the shirt that I am wearing at the moment. It is my brothers. Do not ask.**

Rachel POV

I hated that foreign exchange student. She not only has managed to steal almost all of my solos, but she also stole Finn.

This was why I was sitting at the piano angrily pounding out "I'm Not That Girl" in the Glee room. After sitting alone for around ten minutes during free period, Mercedes and Tina came in with a furious look on their faces.

"Hi Mercedes and Tina," I mumbled, moving on to crashing my fingers against random keys. I paused a moment, and then got up from the piano to sit down with them.

"Hey Rachel. What's wrong with you?" Mercedes sighed, leaning back in her chair.

Right at that moment, Quinn, Santana, and Britt walked in. They looked as though they had just come back from Cheerios practice and Quinn looked as if on top of that she had gotten into a fight with Puck…again. They sat down next to us and slumped back in their chairs as we all stared blankly at each other.

"I hate men," Quinn finally concluded, tugging at the ends of her Cheerio uniform.

"Amen to that, white girl." Mercedes muttered.

"Artie broke up with me because he said I wasn't chick enough for him. I'd like to see him get anything better." Tina said bitterly and I nodded sympathetically.

"Ugh, Puck is saying that he can't deal with me not letting him 'do things' with him. Not my fault I'm worried about getting pregnant again." Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Puck said he's doesn't want me as his 'other female' anymore. Said if he had to cheat, he might as well do as good as he can get." Santana rolled her eyes and Britt squeezed her hand, shooting her a smile.

"Kurt's too busy with Sam to spend time with me anymore. And Pat is out of town for a jazz convention. Honestly, he's been to five this year." Mercedes complained with an irritated look on her face.

"Finn was sucking face with foreign girl…in my car." I said, forgetting that I'm supposed to practice good posture and slumped down in my chair.

Everybody looked at me with sympathetic looks and I smiled sadly.

"Kurt still won't make out with me," Britt said sadly, twirling her hair around her finger.

Everybody stayed quiet for a moment until Santana said. "Britt, Kurt's gay. He doesn't like girls."

Britt frowned and Tina took that as an opportunity to start a different conversation.

"You know what we need, ladies? We need well-mannered men who don't screw around with our feelings and expect us to be okay with it." Tina said with conviction.

"Amen," Mercedes said.

"Men who will open the car door for you on dates." I chimed in.

"Oh, and they won't give ultimatums for the relationship." Quinn added, joining our circle.

"And don't wear skinny jeans," Santana added.

"That won't call me stupid." Britt said sadly and Santana linked her pinky with hers.

I looked around our mini-circle at everybody's depressed faces. Ever since Glee started last year, we all found that the best way to feel better is to sing about it. So in an attempt to lift the spirits of my fellow Glee girls, I stood up and began singing.

_Half past twelve__  
__And I'm watching the late show in my flat all alone__  
__How I hate to spend the evening on my own__  
__Autumn winds__  
__Blowing outside my window as I look around the room__  
__And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom_

__Tina flashed me a grin and I pulled her up as she began to sing along with me. Everybody was smiling while they were swaying along in their chairs.

___There's not a soul out there__  
__No one to hear my prayer_

__Mercedes stood up as Tina stood up on her chair and I followed. Santana and Britt held up their cell phones and swayed them around as they laughed. Quinn smiled and quietly sang along.

___Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away__  
__Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Take me through the darkness to the break of the day_

__Tina and I linked hands and jumped down from our chairs and pulled Quinn to her feet, giggling. Quinn rolled her eyes but smiled as we began the next verse. Mercedes stood at the top row of our choir seats and we all filed down to the bottom as she sang.

___Movie stars__  
__Find the end of the rainbow, with a fortune to win__  
__It's so different from the world I'm living in__  
__Tired of T.V.__  
__I open the window and I gaze into the night__  
__But there's nothing there to see, no one in sight_

__Quinn and I stood at the bottom and sang the next part as the rest of the girls were on the second level of the risers randomly dancing. There wasn't a person in the room who wasn't smiling and everybody was thinking on their 'white knight' per-say.

___There's not a soul out there__  
__No one to hear my prayer_

__Santana lifted Britt up and Britt did a backflip across the top row and everybody clapped as Britt bowed. The door was beginning to open, but I decided to ignore it and go back to singing. Tina stood on top of the piano bench and was clapping her hands as the rest of us continued dancing. Quinn, Mercedes, and I were dancing in front of the piano while Santana and Britt were still on the risers.

___Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away__  
__Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Take me through the darkness to the break of the day_

__Quinn joined Tina up on the piano bench and I sat on the end of the piano, our troubles easily forgotten. It was the first time I hadn't thought of Jesse or Finn and I was actually having a good time. There wasn't any hesitation in what I was doing.

___Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight...__  
__Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight..._

__Quinn jumped down from the piano bench and walked up in front of me, giving me a half-smile. Quinn and I were far from being friends, but we could tolerate each other. I smiled broadly and jumped down and we danced as horribly as we could.

___There's not a soul out there__  
__No one to hear my prayer_

__I noticed that there was a person standing in the corner of the room, but I didn't care at the moment. It was the first time the Glee girls had ever accepted me and I was enjoying it. Ever since I lost Finn, I hadn't had any friends. It felt nice to have people to talk to (or sing with).

___Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away__  
__Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Take me through the darkness to the break of the day__  
__Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away__  
__Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight__  
__Take me through the darkness to the break of the day_

Everybody laughed as we did a very 'High School Musical' jump and then collapsed on the ground, laughing and panting.

"Still feel bad about losing your man, Rachel?" Mercedes asked, lying down on the ground with a smile on her face.

"Man? I broke up with _Finn_," I laughed and Quinn leaned on my shoulder laughing.

"That's about right,"

Immediately everybody in the room bounced up to their feet, looking around for whoever was talking. Mercedes ended up glaring at one spot with her jaw clenched.

"What are you doing here, St. James?" Mercedes asked with a bitter edge to her voice.

"Well, the weather is fine in LA, thanks for asking Mercedes. I'm here to see Rachel."

Tina walked over to stand by my side as I looked down at my feet. "She d-d-doesn't want to talk to you, St. James. So go away."

"Yeah," Quinn said, nodding her head furiously.

"Ah, I see the baby is gone, Quinn. I've noticed that Rachel hasn't said much throughout all of this." Jesse said with an arrogant air evident in his voice.

"There's nothing I want to say to you, Jesse. I suggest you leave." I said quietly, still refusing to look up.

"I'm surprised you have nothing to say to me." Jesse said as Mercedes balled her hand into a fist.

"I'm not ready to talk to you yet, Jesse. And please don't punch him, Mercedes. God knows his _personality _isn't going to get him anywhere in life. That face is all he has to get him places." Mercedes pouted as she shoved her hands into her pocket and I risked a glance up. Jesse had a smug smile on his face and his eyes were dancing in amusement.

"Whatever you say, Ms. Berry," Jesse said, nodding to the rest of the girls and leaving.

"Let's go out," Britt finally said, going to grab her bag.

"Where are we going?" Mercedes asked as we all walked out of the Glee room.

"Somewhere that's not here. How about we go back to my place and watch a movie?" Tina asked, smiling slightly.

"We're all in, girl. Now let's show these boys we don't need them!" Quinn said, smiling as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and we walked out the doors, singing random parts of the song we just finished singing.

As I walked over to my car after all the other girls had pulled out to head to Tina's, I felt somebody staring at me. I glanced over and saw Jesse leaning on his car giving me a genuine half-smile. I lifted my hand hesitantly and gave him a little wave, barely managing to smile. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and waved back before getting into his car and starting up his engine. I got into my car and turned my radio on before starting up my car. I realized that I had a far-from-perfect life and that I wouldn't be able to make sense of everything. But at least now I had friends who would help me until I get my man.

I knew I already found him, I just have to wait until it's time to get him.

**A/N:**

**I had to bring Jesse into this one. Don't hate me. **

**Anyway…I'm not so sure if this is my favorite overall idea. I'm pretty proud of some of my lines, but I feel as if it's missing something. Anyway, don't kill me because of my mistakes (like bad grammar, spelling, and not-funny lines). Hope you have a great day and I'll try to post as soon as I get an idea!**

**Regards,**

**Gale**


	6. Mamma Mia

**A/N:**

**Hello all! Here is Shelby and her "extremely supportive" Booster Club! Not going to say too much but I should probably let you all know this. **

**(…)**

**I don't own Glee.**

**I know you guys thought I owned everything great in the world (like unicorns and Sharpies), but I do not. That also means that I don't own any of the characters, songs, or direct quotes that I use. I do, however, own any horribly written punch-lines and the thought that Shelby's Booster Club is drunk 73.98% of the time. Without further ado, here is the infamous Carmel High Booster Club!**

Shelby POV

There was only one thing about being the coach of a bunch of teenage singers that was great; the Booster Club meetings.

But this wasn't the stereo-type Booster meetings you're thinking of. No, this was the wives of rich business men who were constantly deserted for "business trips" who like to drink more than they probably should. If it wasn't for their God-awful husbands and their need to get back at them, Vocal Adrenaline wouldn't have Range Rovers. We'd be like – God forbid – _New Directions_.

But thankfully I know just the way to get the money rolling in from the uptight socialites; wine and karaoke.

"And then I marched myself to the closest bar and did _at least _ten shots. Or was it more?" Dolores slurred as the women around her laughed, choking down their own drinks.

"Oh, you think _that's _bad? You'll **never **believe what Henry texted me the other day." Riley giggled, draining her cup.

"Shelby…how come we never hear you talking about your men?" Alex asked, swaying in her seat.

I gave them a smirk. "Half the guys I make out with are gay. Besides, I've been down that road and I don't want to go back."

Sasha leaned forward eagerly, as did all the other ladies in the group. I leaned back into my chair and set down my glass. I sat there for a moment (dramatically building the scene up, of course), took a breath, and began to sing.

_I was cheated by you__  
__And I think you know when.__  
__So I made up my mind, it must come to an end__  
__Look at me now, will I ever learn?__  
__I don't know how but I suddenly lose control__  
__There's a fire within my soul__  
__Just one look and I can hear a bell ring__  
__One more look and I forget everything__  
_

All of the ladies laughed and raised their glasses in a toast before joining along, sounding worse than their children before they joined VA. I tried as hard as I could to ignore them and I thought about Steven. He was truly my first love; we had promised each other we would make it big on Broadway as the greatest "power couple" the world would ever see. But then life happened.

___Mamma Mia, here I go again__  
__My My, how can I resist you?__  
__Mamma Mia, does it show again__  
__My My, just how much I've missed you?_

We had met each other in middle school. We were both in the same choir group at the school and were paired up to do a ballad together for our next recital. After many arguments about which piece we should do, he decided on _Anything You Can Do. _After hearing the way that our voices sounded together, I knew that we could be perfect. If he would work a little harder on the higher notes.

___Yes, I've been broken-hearted__  
__Blue since the day we parted__  
__Why, why did I ever let you go?__  
__Mamma Mia, now I really know__  
__My My, I should not have let you go__  
_

What started after that ballad I like to call fate. We promptly started dating; renting every musical that had ever been made into a movie and – once a year – driving from our little town in Georgia up to New York City to see a production. I had finally found somebody worthy of me and my obvious talent.

___Look at me now__  
__Will I ever learn__  
__I don't know how__  
__But I suddenly lose control__  
__There's a fire within my soul.__  
__Just one look and I can hear a bell ring__  
__One more look and I forget everything_

Then one night, everything changed. It was the day before I was going to interview with a gay couple that wanted to have a daughter. I really needed the money to go to New York to start my career and the prices they were paying allowed me about two years rent. Steven had come over to try and talk me out of it and then – after he realized nothing he could say would keep me home – he proposed.

___Mamma Mia, here I go again__  
__My My, how can I resist you?__  
__Mamma Mia, does it show again__  
__My, My, just how much I've missed you?_

Thankfully all the women in the room were too high to realize I was crying. I brushed the tears away quickly and continued to sing and think about Steven. I had desperately wanted to accept his proposal but I knew that meant staying in that loser town the rest of my life. Steven realized about four years into our relationship that his true calling in life was to be a minister. Everything we had decided for our future had been forgotten; he wanted to preach at the old church downtown. I knew that if I wanted to have a shot at the big time, I couldn't have a marriage tying me down. So I turned him down. Little did I know that when he left my parents' house with that sad, all-knowing expression it would be the last time I saw him. He died later that night in a car accident. I heard about it when I was about to board my plane to Lima, Ohio from one of the women he had cheated on me with. Realizing that guilt was his motivation to marry me, I happily boarded the plane, never to return to Georgia.

___Yes, I've been brokenhearted__  
__Blue since the day we parted__  
__Why, why did I ever let you go?__  
__Mamma Mia, now I really know__  
__My My, I should not have let you go_

All the ladies clapped and drank another shot. Fifteen nicely-summed checks and one more bottle of wine later, all of the Booster Club was safely at their houses probably passed out on their Luis Vuitton couches. I remembered the day when Jesse had asked me if I had ever had a heart. With a bitter smile on my face, I realized I didn't.

Steven James Smith had taken stolen it to never be returned.

**A/N:**

**Okay…that was interesting. I probably should've added a little more "drunk dialogue" but I think this will suffice. Nice to give Shelby some background…she now officially has a life! Anyway, that's about it for this chapter…hope you guys enjoyed :) **

**Thank you to anyone and everyone who has reviewed and another thanks to my constants who keep coming back :)**

**A quick note before I take my leave; I am looking for a beta. If you know of anybody that can help me with this, it would be most appreciated!**

**Regards,**

**Gale**


	7. Our Last Summer

**A/N:**

**Ah yes, the infamous Jesse/Rachel child. I'm writing this while watching **_**Hell-o **_**and they just finished up singing 'Hello'…I thought I was going to die. My lovely dog was laughing at me the whole time…I just know it. **

**Anyway, I must say that I do not own Glee or any ABBA songs I have ever used. Maybe one day I will, but today I do not.**

**Hope everybody had a good back-to-school! I'm ready for summer to begin…anybody else? Anyway, here it is! And also remember that I love reviews ;)**

Jesse POV

"Come on, you guys! This is a _singing competition _therefore you must **sing**! Honestly, you guys just plain out suck! Take five, drink a Monster, and **get your act together!**" I yelled as my students looked down at their feet before exiting the stage. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, shoving my chair back and standing up.

Ever since I had been kicked out of the limelight of Hollywood, I had taught the young brats of Vocal Adrenaline. Honestly, I thought my group was bad back in the Shelby days, but they were even worse. They all had talent, but they had baby-daddy drama every other day and they always whined about solos.

"Your lead is flat,"

I turned my head slightly to see a young girl standing with her arms crossed at the end of the seating aisle. She had on a floral-patterned white dress with black tights with green ballet flats. I couldn't see her facial features because she was facing the now-empty stage, but I could tell she had a smirk on her face. This girl had a slender figure and was tapping her fingers against her thigh. After a few moments of silence, the girl finally turned and walked my direction until she was directly in front of me, glaring up at me.

To say I was shocked was an understatement. She had shoulder-length curly brown hair and piercing blue eyes that twinkled with humor. She had a smirk playing lightly on her lips that reminded me _so much _of Rachel. Even though there were subtle hints at the Rachel I knew back in high school, there was something incredibly familiar about this young girl's face. I just didn't know what.

"Are your dancers trained in dance? Because by the way they were managing that routine, it didn't seem like that. You know that is just a lawsuit waiting to happen if one of them falls." The girl nodded furiously and pursed her lips, glancing at me with a piercing glance.

"They aren't trained," I said, just to see her reaction. To my shock, she gave me a complete Rachel Berry look…right down to the hand-on-the-upper-hip.

"You are incredibly stupid." She said, than extended her hand in front of her. "My name is Elphaba Lynn Maria Berry and I have evidence that you are my father."

I was here _father? _ How is that even possible? When did that ever happen? What possessed Rachel to name her daughter Elphaba?

Elphaba gave me a tentative smile and patted her outstretched hand on my shoulder. "I know it is a shock, but I've already had the DNA tests run. I did the experiment for my science fair. It was between you and two other men. But I narrowed it down to you almost instantly. The resemblance between the two of us is almost comical. I completely understand if you want nothing to do with me, but I wanted to let you know that you have a child."

I didn't say anything for a moment, but then surprised the both of us by laughing. I pulled my hand out of my pocket and extended it, mirroring her smile. She grinned and took my hand, shaking it with a firm grip.

"It's very nice to meet you, Elphaba. I'm sure that you already know this, but I'm Jesse. Might I also add that you are quite the beautiful young lady."

Elphaba grinned and tucked a curl behind her ear. "Mom says I resemble you greatly."

I smile and we sit next to each other in the auditorium seats. "Who were the other two choices for your father?"

Elphaba pulled her messenger bag into her lap and brought out a black binder that was filled to the brim with papers.

"Well, it was between you, the football coach, and the preschool teacher." Elphaba said, flipping to individual pages as she called out the occupations.

The last job in particular caught my interest. "Who was the preschool teacher?"

Elphaba smiled and flipped to a page with a picture of a man with medium-length jet black hair. "This is Noah Puckerman. I've known him since I was around two years old and I'm currently dating his son Jackie. He went to college to be a professional football player with his at-the-time fiancé Quinn Fabray but was injured during one of his games. He then decided to completely flip his career around and become a preschool teacher. He taught me back in the preschool days."

I nearly chocked when she said it was Puck. The thought of him being a preschool teacher deeply disturbed me considering his reputation from high school. But, I suppose that sometimes people can change drastically.

Elphaba flipped to the next page to a picture of an extremely overweight bald man. "This was the other choice; his name is Finn Hudson. He is the football coach back at McKinley High which is where I go to school. After doing a little research in the library I had found that he and my mother had a high school sweetheart thing going on. But, all the tests came back negative for him. Which I thank Barbra for that every day because age is not on his side."

I chuckled. "How did you come across my name?"

Elphaba shot me a Rachel Berry grin and flipped to the last page which had a picture of me with a cloud around it. "Seeing as I am currently in New Directions, I had come here to Carmel to see the competition this year for Regionals. Your group was preforming _Yesterday _– which is a personal favorite of mine – and you went on stage to describe to them how to sing with emotion. It was that moment that I knew we were somehow related. So after you fell asleep while altering costumes, I cut off a bit of your hair and examined it myself. And that is the story!"

I couldn't help but smile at how animated her face was whenever she told the story. While she had features that closely resembled my own, she had such a presence about her that I could never personally achieve.

But, I was still curious about one thing. I knew that she said she was in New Directions, but I still wondered if she had a decent singing voice. With me as a parent, she was bound to have at least a tad bit of talent, but there had been many cases in Hollywood where the offspring of two talented people had no talent themselves. I didn't want to seem rude, but the curiosity nagged at the back of my mind.

Right when I was about to ask her if she wouldn't mind singing, I caught glance of a figure standing in the doorway. My breath caught up in my throat when I realized that it was Rachel Berry herself, leaning in the doorway with a hint of a smile dancing on her face. I had been keeping tabs on her Broadway career and she had been severely successful. I remember hearing that she had a young girl that always stared with her, but she had never been associated as her daughter. With a smile, I realized that it was her daughter. My daughter. My smile grew even larger when I realized I could talk to Rachel _and _see if my own flesh-and-blood had talent. It just took a song.

_I can still recall__  
__Our last summer__  
__I still see it all__  
__Walks along the Seine__  
__Laughing in the rain__  
__Our last summer__  
__Memories that remain_

__Elphaba flashed me the biggest grin that had yet crossed her face and followed me as I walked up and down the aisles of the auditorium, glancing up at Rachel a few times. Rachel rolled her eyes, but was laughing as I twirled Elphaba and set her on top of the seats as she walked beside me, almost a head taller than me.

___We made our way along the river__  
__And we sat down in the grass by the Eiffel tower__  
__I was so happy we had met__  
__It was the age of no regret__  
__Oh, yes_

Elphaba giggled as I picked her up and spun her around before setting her firmly back onto the floor of the auditorium. I bowed dramatically to her and we began to waltz, heads lifted much too high in the air. Rachel rolled her eyes before letting a genuine smile blossom onto her face. Time hadn't changed her much; she looked like she was sixteen again. And – quite frankly – I felt eighteen.

___Those crazy years__  
__That was the time of the flower-power__  
__But underneath__  
__We had a fear of flying__  
__Of growing old__  
__A fear of slowly dying__  
__We took our chance__  
__Like we were dancing our last dance_

I dropped myself dramatically to the ground before jumping back up and twirling Elphaba. She smiled and bit her lip before joining me with the singing.__

_I can still recall__  
__Our last summer__  
__I still see it all___

I was shocked at the raw power of her voice. It was like a choir of bells but with such a strong power to it that she could hold her ground. Rachel smiled warmly at the shocked look on my face and gave me a wink, which reminded me the next part was my line.

___In the tourist jam__  
__Round the Notre Dame_

Elphaba was swaying to the tune of the song, playfully singing each line. I sat next to her on the arm of the auditorium seat and took her hand, mirroring her smile. We walked dramatically across the aisle while singing the next part. Rachel continued to watch with an amused sparkle in her eyes, a soft smile on her face.__

_Our last summer__  
__Walking hand in hand_

_Living for the day__  
__Worries far away__  
__Our last summer__  
__We could laugh and play_

Elphaba spun out to the middle of the aisle and belted out the solo, reminding me strongly of Rachel when I saw her preform at Sectionals all those years back. I watched with pure amazement at the girl who stood in front of me. It took me a moment to realize that she was my daughter. __

_And now you're working in a bank__  
__The family man, a football fan__  
__And your name is Harry__  
_

I put a hand over my heart and sang the responding line with a smirk etching my face, ignoring the fact that the line was completely true.

___How dull it seems_

A Rachel trait that Elphaba must have inherited is the trait to see right through me. Elphaba took my hand and sang the next line with innocence radiating in her eyes. She gave me a reassuring grin and I couldn't help but smile back.__

_Yet, you are the hero of my dreams_

I kissed Elphaba's hand softly before letting it go and walking over to Rachel before stopping in front of her completely, and then proceeding to bow. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but she took the hand I had extended to her. I glanced around the room before giving her a sly smile and she instantly knew what I wanted her to do. She shook her head, but she softly began to sing along. Her voice had improved greatly since the last time I had seen her and, gradually, her voice became stronger. We began to sway with each other in the middle of the aisle, glancing at each other occasionally. The smile never left my face.__

_I can still recall__  
__Our last summer__  
__I still see it all__  
__Walks along the Seine__  
__Laughing in the rain__  
__Our last summer__  
__Memories that remain_

We finished the song and Rachel smiled at me as Elphaba clapped excitedly in the background.

"We have a daughter?" I whispered into Rachel's ear and she looked up at me with a scared expression.

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew you were busy at UCLA and you wouldn't have wanted a child holding you down and-''

I put my finger to her lips and she stopped, looking up to meet my eyes. I didn't say anything for a few moments before breaking out in a smile and hugging Rachel as close to me as I could.

"She's beautiful, like you. I would've loved to have known her earlier and I wish you would've called me and told me about her, but there's nothing we can do to change that. I would, however, like to be a part of Elphaba's life and possibly even yours if-''

This time Rachel was the one that silenced me with her finger. She gave me a grin and I smirked back, before leaning toward Rachel to make up for lost time.

**A/N:**

**I'll leave the rest up to you guys ;)**

**I only write by experience therefore I can't write about things I know not anything about ;)**

**Anyway…hope you guys enjoyed! Sorry it's been taking me **_**so long **_**to update…I've been trying to get my feelings in check before writing so it doesn't turn into angst. As you can tell, it's sort of the opposite. I'm really happy with where I am at the moment, so this is just a very everybody-is-happy piece. Oh, and sorry if you really like Finn's character, but I thought it would be funny if he ended up as the Lima Loser of the bunch. As for Puck…well, a preschool teacher was just simply so OOC that it had to be done.**

**Review and you'll get a St. Berry family hug!**

**Regards,**

**Gale**


	8. Another Town, Another Train

**A/N:**

**I am very upset; my Microsoft Office trial has expired. So now I have to use WordPad. Fun, right?**

**Sorry I've been gone for like, ever! You would not BELIEVE how crazy this year has been...picking out schools, finishing up some IB stuff...and balancing my social life with that. I realize this is a lame excuse, but it's all my precious little mind can think of right now. I hope school is going good for everybody as well as life...things are, um, okay here. It's kind of a long story that I don't feel like telling right now. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this little fic and I apologize once more for my dormant-ness over the past months. **

**Oh, while I'm talking...you all should check out Whatshername by the American Idiot OBC...it's amazing! New theme song for life... :)**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Glee. Sadly.**

**Without further ado, here is Jesse!**

Jesse POV

My eyes flickered open as I stared around my barren room. The walls were an unsettling white, missing the essential Broadway posters that normally covered them. Everything that I had ever owned now was lying in the back of my car, leaving the house completely empty. I slowly got up and stood in the middle of the room I had grown up in, looking at the marks on the side of my doorway where my parents had kept track of my height over the years. When I walked into the empty closet, I saw the notes I had written to myself after watching my father hit my mother. I glanced around silently, taking every detail of my life in before I left.

Today I was leaving Ohio for good to go to UCLA. I was more than ready to get out of Ohio, but also remorseful. After I left, Shelby would be selling the house that I had grown up in. I'm almost certain that she also hadn't informed Marilyn of the fact that she wouldn't have a home after she graduated from the boarding school she was attending. I had been looking forward to this day since my parents died, but - now that it was actually here - I wasn't so sure that it was all I had made it up to be.

I took off the Vocal Adrenaline sweats that I had worn over here last night and changed into a pair of jeans and the darkest un-wrinkled shirt that I could find. I glided out of my room and silently walked around the house before reaching the room I hadn't entered since I moved in with Shelby. I hesitantly fingered the doorknob before griping it firmly and walking in.

I was instantly greeted with a strong whiff of a mixture of Sweet Pea and something that smelled like Old Spice. The room looked exactly the same as it did when I was younger, right down to the holes in the wall where my father had missed my mother and hit the wall instead. On the dresser there were picture frames with thick layers of dust covering the photographs and my mother's jewelry box, still opened from the day that she died. The bed was still pushed back, fathers' pajamas strewn across the bed lazily. I slowly walked over to the right side of the bed where my mother would read stories to me and kneeled down next to it.

_It still smelled like her. _I noticed, lightly grazing my fingers over the sheets. I slowly got up off of my knees and walked to the closet, cautiously opening the door. When I did, I saw that mother's clothes were still hanging up in the closet. Realizing how desperate I was for her to comfort, I grabbed for one of her scarves and pressed it to my nose, inhaling her scent hungrily.

After what seemed like hours, I put the scarf down and walked out of the room, breathing heavily. I knew that my leaving was for the best; it was time for me to leave my past behind. I shook my head and flew down the stairs, not stopping until I was outside about to get into my car. I threw one last look at the house that held the best parts of my childhood and then climbed into my car, starting the engine. With one last look back, I started on my way to California, no regrets.

I glanced out the window as I went down the street where Rachel lived. From the street, I could see her bedroom light flicker on and saw her curtains fly open, a look of tired happiness on her face. She grinned out as she looked down at the street and then walked away to change for her Sunday Voice Lessons. I looked at her house a second before starting my car up and continuing on my way.

_Day is dawning and I must go__  
__You're asleep but still I'm sure you'll know__  
__Why it had to end this way__  
__You and I had a groovy time__  
__But I told you somewhere down the line__  
__You would have to find me gone__  
__I just have to move along_

I wasn't sure why this song had come to mind, but it seemed to fit fairly well. I pulled onto the Interstate and ignored the person that almost cut me off. I hadn't bothered to say good-bye to Shelby; she probably didn't want to talk to me anyway. After Nationals, I told Shelby I was moving out until I moved to California. Will told me that I should tell her I was staying with him even though I was staying at my old house. Shelby just shook her head and gave me her car, taking my Range Rover from me. But I honestly didn't mind; I was just glad to be out of that house.

___Just another town, another train__  
__Waiting in the morning rain__  
__Lord give my restless soul a little patience__  
__Just another town, another train__  
__Nothing lost and nothing gained__  
__Guess I will spend my life in railway stations__  
__Guess I will spend my life in railway stations__  
_

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would do well in California. Everybody knew I belonged in the Industry, yet I had chosen to go to UCLA instead of Julliard. I'm not exactly sure why I picked to go there instead of New York. Obviously I would be successful wherever I ended up because I am Jesse St. James. I am the best thing that has ever happened to the world. And I don't doubt about my chances of making it, I only wait for the day that people will find my talent. I wasn't permanent; I was the perfect celebrity image.

___When you wake I know you'll cry__  
__And the words I wrote to say goodbye__  
__They won't comfort you at all__  
__But in time you will understandThat the dreams we dreamed were made of sand__  
__For a no-good bum like me__  
__To live is to be free__  
_

But then Rachel came along. She was the reason I started to doubt my choice to go to UCLA. But I was the one that screwed that up. I gave Will a note to give Rachel about everything I had done and why but I still know it wouldn't fix anything. Not yet, anyway.

___Just another town, another train__  
__Waiting in the morning rain__  
__Look in my restless soul, a little patience__  
__Just another town, another train__  
__Nothing lost and nothing gained__  
__Guess I will spend my life in railway stations__  
__Guess I will spend my life in railway stations__  
_


End file.
